| Description |
1861 25C PR68 S Cameo NGC. CAC. Although 1,000 pieces were struck of the 1861 proof Seated quarter issue, more than 600 examples were melted at the start of the Civil War. The numerically finest submissions at PCGS are four non-Cameo PR66 pieces and two PR66 Cameo coins. NGC shows one each in PR67 and PR67 Cameo, making the Newman coin the sole example certified at the PR68 grade level, even if the Star and Cameo were omitted (10/13). Both the Civil War date and this piece's status as the sole numerically finest example of the issue graded will surely trigger auction fever. What it will realize, however -- as with many of the finest-graded Newman Collection coins -- can only be speculated. A PR67 NGC non-Cameo example brought $14,950 in our Boston ANA Signature (Heritage, 8/2010), lot 3115. The same coin, six years earlier in our Pittsburgh Signature (Heritage, 8/2004), lot 4046, brought $11,500. The finest Cameo example that we could find offered at recent auction was also one of ours, a PR66 Cameo PCGS piece that garnered $16,100 in our Central States Signature (Heritage, 4/2011), lot 5092. In any case, this PR68 S Cameo Newman Collection example is in a class of its own, despite any other survivors. The immediate centers of each side remain silver-white, surrounded by bands of amber, rose, and cobalt-blue patina, turning into deep jet-black in the fields. The strike is full throughout both sides, as expected in this lofty grade. Watch the bidder cards fly on this one. Ex: Eric P. Newman Numismatic Education Society.
Realized $188,000.00 . Description courtesy of Heritage Auctions, ha.com. |
